Questions are being raised over a Welsh council’s reliance on external contractors for road maintenance, with calls for more of the work to be carried out by an in-house highways workforce instead.
Nation.Cymru reports that concerns have been aired after figures showed Vale of Glamorgan council spent more than £7 million on external contractors carrying out road repairs and resurfacing work. Some councillors have argued that the level of expenditure warrants a review of whether employing and expanding a directly managed highways maintenance team could provide better value for money while giving the authority greater control over the quality and timing of repairs.
Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Conservatives group leader, Cllr George Carroll said it was questionable whether relying on contractors provides better value for money.
A Plaid Cymru councillor, Cllr Chris Franks said the council has “failed to properly maintain the road network” for years.
“It remains highly questionable whether relying on contractors provides better value for money than taking the service in house, and a full cost-benefit analysis is required. The council must also explore opportunities to invest in new equipment and technologies to make road maintenance more effective and efficient.”
Plaid Cymru councillor Christopher Franks said:
“For years the Vale has failed to properly maintain the road network. Last year the state of the highways was dreadful. The budget ran out mid autumn and schemes were cancelled days before contractors were due to start work.
“Apparently the Labour cabinet was unaware of the situation until Plaid informed them. Residents had been informed of the planned work then nothing. It is always difficult to work out exactly how much is available. It’s all very unclear.”
The FOI request also revealed that the council paid out £24,473 in pot-hole related compensation in 2021/22, although this number shrank to £1,987 in 2024/25 – the most recent figure.
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesperson said:
“The council maintains more than 1,000km of adopted highway and, like all UK Local Authorities, deals with potholes across a large network of roads.
“We are investing more than ever in repairs to keep our roads safe. That involves working with our contractor Centregreat Ltd and using specialist equipment such as the JCB Pothole Pro machine, to fix defects quickly and efficiently. We have also trialled a new sustainable repair technique called Elastomac to mend damaged roads.
“That converts old tyres into an innovative road repair material which can lower the carbon footprint of patch repairs by 85 per cent.
“It can be used to mend a variety of surfaces including roads, car parks, bridges and other critical infrastructure across the Vale of Glamorgan.”
(Picture: Mapillary)
